"Life is an adventure if you spend it with the right people. "

Halloween

A couple of years ago during half term we put up decorations for halloween we went to a halloween party and decorated halloween themed pots then we threw our own halloween party then back to school on Monday fully halloweened out but we still had trick or treat to do! I wasn’t really bothered but the kids were excited!

I love the idea the actual going out, getting dressed up & the kids enjoying the feel of it!

Sometimes though it seemed too much! Halloween is catching up with Christmas the events, the parties, the decorations. before we know it we will be planning Halloween in June like we plan Christmas in July!

And don’t get me started on the sweets and the cries of just one more house. No kids i cant feel my fingers I’m Freezing!

Christmas is just around the corner and if they ate one sweet a day until Xmas day they would still have too many left! and they are bound to get more for xmas!

Over the years we have spent a lot on decorating and entertaining. We now need to find somewhere to put it all until each year – Another corner of the loft taken up by decorations that only come out once a year and are no doubt going to be added to as new decorations will go on sale in aug and we will see new things. Only remembering after we have done our halloween haul what we had in the loft from last year!

In the news a couple of years ago there was reports of people getting to wrapped up in scaring people. Costumes that are targeted at our children are like something from a horror movie! That seems to have calmed down this year however Scary masks still seem to be the in thing!

Its just getting a bit too much.

But along with the decorations by the summer I will have forgotten all about how overwhelmed I am by Halloween and end up planning a full week of events!

Right now its time for Christmas – There isn’t ever too much Christmas

Nina x

*This post was first published November 2016 and has since been reedited and made more up to date for this year!

Ok many of you have already broke for half term but for us. We are not quite there yet.

The last week lurgy seems to have hit the house including me. If it doesn’t go soon a fear that I may be poorly for half term.

Four children in a house for a week will get a little stressy I feel.

I’m creating a plan using the tips below to try and remain calm during half term.

So here are my tips to surviving the autumn half term.

Get outside. Even if you feel full of cold. Do your best, wrap everyone up warm if you have to. If it’s wet get those wellies out. But get outside. Fresh air really tire people out and it is so good for everyone’s wellbeing. Even if you just head to the local farm for eggs, or walk round the block looking for the last of the conkers or to splash in puddles. Anything to get out.

Soft play. – I know I know. It can be hellish in the holidays. But it saves them climbing on your sofas. You could take a book or your laptop and get a bit of work done. If you find a soft play with good coffee you on to a proper winner.

Craft Box. – ok wait. Hear me out. Get out some paper on the kitchen table or floor. Let them create some autumn pictures or Halloween crafts. Use their own imagination. Maybe put some ideas on your iPad and show them a couple of they are older ones. They could be left alone while you wash pots or put a load of washing in. At the end you can just scoop up the newspaper and create minimal mess.

Snack & Meal Plans. – if you already have plans in place and snacks at the ready you won’t have to deal with hangry kids. I think that’s enough said!

Quiet time. – catch some quite time. I have 14 month old twins as well as my 6 year old twins. We try and get quiet time nap times. Put a movie on or let them have their iPads for an hour or so in an afternoon. Movie afternoons could be complimented by hot chocolate and popcorn.

Onlineshop. I don’t know about you be my four are a bit of a nightmare to take shopping all at once. If i need to do a grocery shop. I try and book an online shop. It’s so much easier than trying to think what I need with children want want wanting all around the store.

Local events. Search through Facebook or the local paper and see what events are happening nearby.

Breakfast in bed. Before the little twins came along there was nothing my big twins liked more than when I made tea and a plate full of toast and brought a tray up to my bed for a lazy breakfast.

Go with the flow. Life is always an adventure in our house I always try to make a plan but sometimes as I’ve said people fall ill or have a bad night. So I try and go with the flow. See how everyone is feeling. Throw out the meal plans, get in the car and head to McDonalds instead.

Have

Leave in the comments what you le top tips Are for surviving the holidays.

The season where we can forget about shaving our legs, we can light those pumpkin candles, eat our weight in comfort food and hide our wobbles behind our chunky knit jumpers!

I can smell Autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves

~ Unknown

Its Autumn!

The summer has been epic and it will be hard to beat it in terms of adventures for our family. Lazy mornings and late nights are giving way to school runs and movie nights!

I dont want Autumn to go without making some good memories though thats why we are here today with The ARC Autumn Bucket list!

Go

Pumpkin Farm Visit

Seaside

Farm visit

Watch

Hotel Transylvania 3

Christopher Robin

Johnny English

Make

Make a scarecrow

Decorate pumpkins

Carrot Cake

Soup

Hot Chocolate

DO

Geocaching

Indoor Picnic

Car Picnic

Family Photo

Trick or treating

Firework display

Movie Nights

Read

Finish Calm Parents

Finish why Mummy drinks

Start Why mummy swears

During Autumn we have a half term and a couple of inset days that’s why the list is so long. Some of the things are personal, some are for myself and Spencer’s ARC Daddy and some are for our whole family.